Um, and More Weaving

I was tired from last weekend and wanted to get a warp on so I could have some weaving therapy. I'm doing yet another set of four placemats, tied onto the same dummy warp. After watching the Madeline Van der Hoogt video, I put a cross in the dummy warp as well as the new one. There's a cross on both sides of the reed. Zounds Batgirl! That's the ticket. I had it tied on in about an hour and a half.
DD Chris called this morning to say that Alexia had decided she didn't want to go to gymnastics. She wanted to help Grandma with her farmers market craft fair. Oh, and she'd like to spend the night. Okay on both counts. This is my craft fair helper.
She was terrific. She put one of my felted bags on her shoulder and went over to the farmers market area and said, you should see the things my grandma makes - she made this and she makes really stinky soap. It helps that she's adorable and voluble.
The lady who bought the bag is visiting from Tuscon and her host in the turquoise top, trying on one my hats, bought placemats from me at the Hunter Pace event two weeks ago. Word of mouth is good. I didn't sell any soap at the Hunter Pace, and that's what I sold today.
We made cookies this afternoon. They're orange because the only Jello I had left was orange. The cookie stamp on the right is hearts, a gift from Amy last weekend, and it quickly became her favorite - it doesn't stick.

I talked her into only putting sprinkles on the top of the balls and then stamping them. It's self preservation. Sprinkles are like edible glitter. I cannot believe I have so much patience with her when I had none with own three children.
After cookies, we decided we'd weave for a little bit. I asked her to model the bag she had shown around the farmers market this morning. What amazed me is that she did it completely on her own. I'm sure it looked like I was hustling my granddaughter. She came with money and wanted to spend it. She kept telling me what was for sale and for how much. I finally let her buy a jar of homemade apple butter for $3.50. She came with $18.00 - Kerry helped her count it out. Yikes!
We decided that we grrls should spend some time weaving. The knitting has fallen out of favor for the moment. I'm looking for a rigid heddle loom for her. I think she's ready.
This is the set I'm working on right now. It's very pastel. I think the fabrics are shirting materials - they all have stripes. It occurred to me today that I should try Marshalls or Ross and see if I can find a single flat sheet that's an orphan for cheap. I can keep my price low if I can keep my costs low. I hope this is the brilliant idea of the year.

5th Annual Gathering III Fini

It was a near-full moon and my daughter put Christmas lights on their tent for a nice light show. I think there were six tents in a row there but I forgot to take a picture. There was a lot going on in a short amount of time! I woke up this morning with the realization that this was the first time all eight of our grandkids had been together in one place and I didn't get that picture either.
We had an appoint-
ment at Joe Winter's pottery studio Sunday morning at 10:00. Marsh led the way in his Polaris RZR (pronounced razer) and Alexia's face lit up. She wanted to ride in the "go-cart." Bev invited her to ride on the back with her. Marsh drove really slow and told me later it's because Lex got really scared, but she rode back on it nevertheless.
Ian and I both are fans of Joe's work so it's always a pleasure to bring our friends over. He's the only person I know who is making a living at his art. Our crowd doesn't seem to mind helping him with that.
This is one of two working areas of his studio - he has two show rooms and an outdoor woodfire kiln, plus a raku work area, which is galvanized cans on fireproof brick. This is the room where he throws the pots. I wish I could remember how many thousands of pounds of clay he throws in a year, and then there's the 13% shrinkage. Why can I remember one number and not the other one? I'm blaming a wrinkle in the gray matter. They're everywhere else!
Joe always throws a pot for those who are interested in seeing the building process. Here he explains he is wedging the clay.
He's making another pot like the one behind Alexia's shoulder. BTW, she's wearing a shirt I had embroidered all over with flowers for her mother with her name over the breast pocket - I had just found it. It's too warm but Lex won't take it off and thus acquired the nickname "Mini Chris."
Some folks straggled in a little later as they chose to walk. The weather was warm but absolutely beautiful. We're starting to get a little tropical moisture this week - it rained a bit on Saturday night. One tent learned why you put up the rain fly *before* you go to bed.
This is grand-
nephew Solly who was in the YouTube video I posted about a week ago, showing how he can watch a video on the iPhone, make a phone call and then go back to the video - he's two. Just ask him. I asked him to show me what he had in his hands. Both his parents are engineers - hmmmmmm.
Cooking on the propane burners is always messy. Everyone pitched in when it came to clean-up but I do love Angie's black hand. I think that's part of the community feeling - everyone shoulders a part of the work and contributes to the play.

I've been begged for a family tree posted somewhere, explaining all the relationships and connections. I'm not sure it's possible. Angie is married to Don Don, which distinguishes him from his father Don and his son Don, also known as Don Don Don, or Junior. Stepson Carlos nicknamed him D-Cube this year. Not blood relatives but very important people in our lives. The picture I posted yesterday of my SIL Rochelle and friend Yvonne, friends from high school? Yvonne is married to just-one-Don. See what I mean???
And this is the 2011 Gathering jigsaw puzzle. I'm so thrilled they finished it before leaving. Last years puzzle was so hard that I was trying to get it done so I could decorate for Christmas. Amy spent a couple hours then getting it straightened out before she left or I would never had gotten it off the table before this year!
This is Amy's vintage trailer that she has had restored, adores and makes wonderful use of. It was almost the tail that wags the dog as she had to acquire a truck to pull it with. She's heading out. She camped with us in Oregon in June.
DS Josh told her that she had inspired him. He found this trailer with a for-sale sign in a bank of snow. He was able to acquire it for $250 and has since put $3,000 and a lot elbow grease into making it a working unit. This was the inaugural run. It's a far cry from the massive fifth-wheel that helped tip them into bankruptcy. They've learned about the power of paying cash. They've decided this looks like a 1950s kitchen appliance so have named it the Road Toaster - a label is in progress.
It's also given them the oppor-
tunity to back up and discover how to be more creative. Josh used the spring-loaded power outlet cap on the trailer wall to install a brewer's tap instead. There's a pony keg in a special cabinet inside that he built just to house it and he's pouring me a beer. It was a big hit.
Their fifth-wheel was twice the length of the truck, which BTW Josh calls Big Stinky - I think we're a family of nicknamers - and I like the Road Toaster twice as much. It's always so hard to say goodbye.

I was grateful that Bev and Marsh stayed behind - Bev is SIL Rochelle's cousin - she and our friend Holly tackled cleaning the house like Merry Maids. Carol and Kerry came back to pick up some stuff, and Petie was staying another day. It was fabulous to sit around garage in the ring of chairs and chat - I come from a long line of storytellers and I married into another one. We were telling and retelling stories - there's really a lot of power in them - no batteries required.

5th Annual Gathering II

The enter-
tainment was where people found it. This is just one of many Rumi-Kube games. There were many card games as well. Misery seemed to be very popular, whatever that is.

The LSU/
Oregon game was a big attraction - this group doubled as word spread that it had started. In fact, when Christopher finished parking his camper, his first question was - has the game started?!
The jig-saw puzzle is always popular. This years puzzle was purchased by Kristi (in the center back) and given to us last New Years when we were in SoCal. Matt and Julia bought it last year.
My daughter-in-law Missy and step-
daughter Little Sharon are browsing through the photo albums. I left this weekend being broke and feeling like the richest person on the planet.
Yvonne and SIL Rochelle have known each other since they were teenagers. These are the types of relationships my children have been able to enjoy because we've lived in one spot since they reached middle school. Some of those friends were here this weekend with their own families.
And then there's the dice game in the garage in the evenings. We call it "tree-fitty" and I have no idea what the real name is. Little Even in the foreground was a serious contestant and almost a winner.

I thought I was finishing up with the weekend and then realized that I hadn't even gotten to our visit with our local potter, Joe Winter - that's him in the orange shirt in background. He makes a living as a potter and always has an open studio with demonstration for us. I'm a storyteller - I have to finish it up.

5th Annual Gathering I

By Saturday everyone who was coming had arrived. Most everyone came from somewhere in California, and while this isn't central by any means, it is a gathering spot.
This doesn't exactly represent the "campus" as the other side of the house is lined with tents, which is why Petie comes early - to help Ian set them up. He left this morning and unfortunately got caught in the traffic in Carson City from the devastating shooting incident - the only dark cloud on the whole weekend.
Ooops - sorry. This is the only shot I have of the double elimina-
tion horseshoe tournament, and all that shows is the pits and practice play on the left, as the actual tourney was the next day. It was the hit of the weekend and I'm afraid I got swept up in it.
The kiddy pool on the deck had a second life after the kids decided the water was too cold and went to play in the dirt instead.
Giant jenga was a hit for the second year running, though DS Josh says the pieces have warped since last year. He and Marsh are going to make kiln-dried jenga for next year and suggested this set become kindling. Can do!

The boys used the pieces for dominoes on the garage floor and then started building with them - two are my grandsons and two are our neighbor's grandsons.
Every one of these young people is significant to me but that would take many blogs to explain so I'll just say the young man on the right in the white t-shirt is my youngest son and the only one of my children to actually look like me - thank goodness - and the ham on the left side with the mutton chops is my grandson from Amhurst, MA, - uncle and nephew. They look and sound so alike it's uncanny. His parents were here three years ago and they were just as stunned as the rest of us. Genetics!
And this is John, my oldest grandson, and if you are new to my blog this year, I posted about how we met here, i.e., he was adopted out.

I was on my way to the gym, after which I'd pick up the "kids" from their kennels. Change of plans - I got to have breakfast with John, girlfriend Shannon and DD Chris instead. I was a little late in my kennel pick-ups but still inside the deadline. And oh my, were there a lot of dirty cars going West, headed home from Burning Man.

Last Minute Details.

I dropped Buster off at doggy jail. For locals, it's Fantasia Pet Resort and Buster actually likes this place - we've used it for ten years, so that translates at a recommend.
Then I drove out to Verdi (California state line on the way to Lake Tahoe for non-locals, i.e., long way from home) to drop Charlie off at the Cozy Cattery. This is a first time for us as Fantasia no longer boards cats. We put his bed and toys in his three-story unit, and he plunked himself on his bed to do a little snoopervising. He went from yowling to content. I think this is also going to be a recommend.
I wanted to get the kids dropped off so that I'd be at the fitness center for the supposedly quite pool hour from 11:00 to noon. I was early so spent a half hour on the elliptical trainer in the gym, when back to the locker room, suited up and showered for the pool to find the water draining from the pool. The sign said - Mechanical malfunction - pool closed. Groan. I saw this sign on my way out of the parking garage. Good one.
I stopped at the Silver Peak Brewery and got my Deschutes Growler filled. I know a lot a regional beers will be present and I wanted us to be on the map - then it was off to Costco where I discovered I didn't have my list. Aren't cell phones awesome?!

Ian and Petie had the inaugural tent up when I got home. It's a first time installation so they we working with mistakes in the instructions and missing parts. They reasoned in out in the end - this nylon palace sleeps ten, or so it says.
The first trailer arrived a little after 6:00. DS Josh, Missy and the boys are here from Oregon, and this trailer is a far cry from the massive fifth wheel they used to sport. He saw this for sale, half covered in snow and bought it after the first of the year. It's vintage and with the help of Jason, he has rehabilitated it, after hours on week ends. It's been exhausting.
They have named it the Road Toaster because they think it looks like an old kitchen toaster. There is plenty of work left to be done, evidenced by the padlock of the door - to ensure it wouldn't fly open on the road.
That extra little blip on the back is the storage space which is thoughtful addition. Yup - that's their street sign from the house they left here. I hear it's a long story - looks pretty short to me.
The boys love it. When we were in Bend in June, Josh hadn't finished laying the flooring. He said it was just going to be a hollow shell for hunting. Now it had this bed, cabinets and a dining area that makes into a bed for the boys. It was hard work for the whole family and I see the pay off in the boys faces.

Last Minuting

Petie called to say he was in Carson City at Costco - did we need anything, I said no, we're covered - we need you. Then he asked if I had anymore soap. He said everyone loved the bars he had gifted so he needed to buy more - did I have more. Yes, I have more soap but not wrapped in labels ready for sale. I hung up and got to work.
In making smaller batches of soap at a time, my soap cutters are leaving me with the last group of soaps too narrow for a bath bar. My son is going to adjust that when he's here this weekend, but I have a lot of extra little soaps.
I've saved old calendars so I decided to make some origami boxes and put the little pieces in and see if I can't move them that way.
The box on the right is from a Historical Nevada calendar. I forgot to take a picture of the finished boxes - they look pretty cool. I hope someone else thinks so. It would be nice to have these little soaps find a home.
Our first guest has arrived for the weekend. He and Ian met at com-
munity college, and now Petie is a retired professor turned banjo player who follows the blue grass festivals. He has chosen us over the Strawberry Festival - wow! We had a lovely quiet evening of visiting and just being together.